Arsene Wenger faced up to the fact that Arsenal's Champions League destiny is no longer under their control after last night's Highbury defeat.

Arsene Wenger faced up to the fact that Arsenal's Champions League destiny is no longer under their control after last night's Highbury defeat.

Beginning the evening knowing victory would guarantee a quarter-final place, the London club finished it reflecting on a rather muddling Group D equation.

With final match opponents Juventus now out after defeat to Bayer Leverkusen, Arsenal will progress if both they and the German club, who travel to northern Spain, lose their final matches, or both draw.

Arsenal would also progress if they better any result Leverkusen manage.

However, if both sides win, Leverkusen would win the group, ahead of Deportivo in second.

And Arsenal's campaign would be ended because each team would have 10 points at the summit and competition rules state any teams finishing level on points have their places decided by their direct results against each other.

In that scenario, Leverkusen would have seven points, Deportivo six and Arsenal four.

Wenger, nicknamed the professor, was at a loss to fathom the possibilities. "What is amazing is that we are in a situation that we can lose the game next week and go through or win it and go out," said Arsenal's French boss.

"It makes it a little bit strange and it would be very difficult to explain even to a mathematician.

"If Leverkusen win they are through, it is not completely in our own hands anymore."

Goals from the outstanding Spanish midfielder Juan Carlos Valeron and Nourredine Naybet before half-time sealed the victory for the visitors.

It completed a quartet of wins over English clubs for Deportivo, who beat Manchester United twice in the first group stage.

Wenger, meanwhile, was left to ponder 28-goal Thierry Henry's penalty miss 20 minutes into the second period that might have pre-empted a nervy finish for the Spanish cup winners.

"Who hasn't missed a penalty?," asked Wenger. "You have to accept these things.

"Players miss penalties and unfortunately he missed one tonight at an important moment.

"But I am very proud of my players tonight. Deportivo were sharper than us in the first half and we had little problems getting into the game.

"In the second half we reacted well and had we got back to 2-1 we could have got something else from one or two openings and even gone on to win the game.

"But at 2-0 they were never going to panic."

Deportivo thus need a draw to ensure they top the group and get a favourable last-eight tie.

"Of course, I think Arsenal can win in Turin," said coach Javier Irureta. "They are very well set up to counter attack and if they play well I think they are going to win.

"I would be happy for them to win there and we will be trying to get at least a point against Leverkusen, we always play to win."

Ali Benarbia last night inspired City to a 3-1 victory over Crewe as Keegan's men returned to the top of the Division One table at the expense of Wolves, who are now two points further back having played a game more.

Keegan said: "I think there is still a lot for us to do.

"Two wins and a draw would probably be enough to get us out of the division but we want to look for more than that. We want to be champions.

"I'm really pleased with tonight and we had to put in the effort. But if we had played against Arsenal at Highbury like we did in the second half tonight, we would have been beaten."